중앙데일리

[FULL TEXT] Joint New Year Editorial issued in DPRK

Jan 02,2003

Pyongyang, January 1 (KCNA) -- Newspapers Rodong Sinmun, Josoninmingun and Chongnyonjonwi today published a joint editorial "Let Us Fully Demonstrate the Dignity and Might of the DPRK Under the Great Banner of Army-Based Policy" on the occasion of the New Year, Juche 92 (2003). Last year, Juche 91 (2002), was a year of historic victory during which the dignity and might of Juche Korea were fully demonstrated in all domains of the revolution and construction, the editorial says, and goes on:
Last year was a year of unity and grand political festivals which clearly bore witness to the politico-ideological might of our revolutionary ranks. Our army and people grandly commemorated the 90th birth anniversary of President Kim Il Sung and the 70th anniversary of the heroic Korean People's Army amidst the jubilation of the whole nation. The grand political events of the significant year, 2002, were the revolutionary festivals that fully demonstrated the Korean people's national honor of being blessed with the illustrious leaders generation after generation. They also demonstrated the iron faith and will of our army and people to carry forward the revolutionary traditions of Mt. Paektu forever.
In the course of the hard struggle the great traits of the perfect unity were displayed. The leader of the revolution and all the servicepersons and people breathed the same breath and shared the idea and destiny. No nuclear weapons can break our single hearted unity whereby the leader trusts the army and people and they absolutely worship and follow their leader.
Last year was a proud year during which the authority and might of the DPRK were fully displayed.
It was thanks to the correct foreign policy of our party and its dynamic activities that a favorable phase was opened for the building of a powerful nation and spectacular events took place drawing the attention of the world. The imperialist arbitrary and high-handed practices that struck the whole world with terror could not frighten us nor block our advance.
Last year was a year of changes during which a new leaping advance was made in the building of a powerful nation.
Our people pushed ahead with a bold struggle to mark the greatest holidays of the nation with proud achievements gained in the building of an economically strong country. With the torch of Ranam lit throughout the country a breakthrough was made to bring about a new economic surge and grand nature-harnessing projects including the land leveling and rezoning in South Hwanghae Province and the Kaechon-Lake Thaesong Waterway Project were carried out successfully.
New measures were taken to improve economic management and improve the standard of the people's living as required by the developing reality. It is a precious success registered in giving full play to the advantages of our-style socialism that a broad avenue was paved for the sustainable growth of our economy.
It is the fixed faith enshrined by our people while pulling through the ordeals that our leader, ideology, army and system are best and it is the most just way to build a powerful socialist nation.
All the victories won by our army and people in carrying out the cause of socialism last year are valuable fruition of leader Kim Jong Il's army-based line and his dynamic guidance.
The New Year, Juche 92 (2003), is a year of bold offensive and great change when a general advance should be made toward the high peak of building a powerful nation under the banner of the army-based policy, the editorial says, and goes on:
This year is a meaningful year which marks the 55th birthday of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, our glorious motherland.
To celebrate this anniversary with splendour is an important political work to firmly preserve the exploits performed by President Kim Il Sung, father of socialist Korea, for state building and eternally glorify the revolutionary achievements gained at the cost of blood. It is also a worthwhile patriotic work to encourage the entire party and army and all the people to win fresh victory and display the might of our country, our motherland.
This year's drive to brilliantly adorn the 55th birthday of the DPRK is a worthwhile struggle to comprehensively apply the Juche-based idea and line of giving top priority to the army in all fields of politics, the economy and culture.
We should vigorously step up the general onward movement for the building of a powerful nation under the slogan "Let Us Achieve a Great Victory with the Might of the Army-Based Policy Yhis Year, Which Marks the 55th Birthday of the DPRK".
In order to increase the might of the DPRK, it is important to consolidate the single hearted unity of the party, the army and the people based on the idea of giving top priority to the army as firm as a rock.
Our party's revolutionary idea of giving top priority to the army is the most steadfast idea of independence against imperialism. We should cement the ideological position and class position of socialism as an iron-wall, fully determined to fight against imperialism to the last. We should also heighten the revolutionary vigilance against the imperialists' ideological and cultural poisoning and firmly preserve our ideology, morality and our noble socialist way of life.
If the DPRK's might is to be fully demonstrated under the banner of the army-based policy, it is necessary to bring about a fresh change in the economic and cultural construction.
It is the fixed will of our party to radically change the appearance of the country and enable the people to live as happily as others in a few years to come. We should put into practice in all aspects leader Kim Jong Il's grand plan for the building of a prosperous and powerful nation, confident of the future of the DPRK.
Proceeding from the fundamental interests of the revolution, we should attach importance to the defence industry and direct primary efforts to it. Efforts should be made to effect fresh innovation in power, coal and metal industries and railway transport, considering these fields as a main link in the efforts to revitalize the national economy. The modernization of light industry should be accelerated to increase the production of quality consumer goods.
In agriculture, the party's policies of bringing about a radical change in seed selection and potato farming and ensuring double cropping should be strictly implemented to significantly increase the agricultural production. It is also important to steadily push ahead with large-scale land realignment projects and build Pyongyang, the capital city of revolution, more magnificently and beautifully to meet the need of the new century.
In order to effect a great surge in socialist economic construction, it is urgent to improve the economic management and rapidly develop science and technology.
We should manage and operate the economy in such a way as to ensure the largest profitability while firmly adhering to the socialist principles. It is essential to acquire advanced technology in earnest and actively introduce ultra-modern science and technology as required by the it era.
If the DPRK's dignity and sovereignty are to be firmly defended, it is important to strengthen our revolutionary armed forces in every way and decisively enhance their militant might and role.
All the officers and men of the people's army should get ready to strike and wipe out any formidable enemy our own way by thoroughly implementing the training-first slogan. They should combat illusion about the enemy and peace and always keep themselves combat-ready. Our people's army will wipe out the imperialist aggressors with unpredictable strike and mercilessly destroy their bulwark if they dare recklessly attack us, pursuant to their "policy of strength".
National defence and aid to the army represent a supreme patriotic work. All the people should do their utmost to increase the national defence capacity, considering the military affair as the most important affair of the state.
We should strengthen and develop our party into an invincible political weapon to accomplish the army-based revolutionary cause of Juche.
All the people should devote themselves to consolidating and developing the socialist system and achieving the prosperity of the DPRK with ardent patriotism.
We should become ardent patriots who value the sovereignty and dignity of the country and the nation more than our life by learning from the noble patriotism of the anti-Japanese revolutionary forerunners.
All the party members and other working people should fulfil their duty and obligation as citizens of the dignified DPRK.
The officials, the leading members of revolution, should have stronger anti-imperialist fighting spirit, revolutionary spirit and militancy than anyone else.
The young people should successfully inherit the heroic fighting sprit and trait the preceding generations displayed in the sacred anti-imperialist and anti-U.S. struggle and thus fulfil the important mission they have assumed before the era as a reserve combat unit of the supreme commander.
Our army and people are now fully confident of certain victory and optimistic about the future of the revolution. We will wage a staunch struggle with the indomitable stamina with which we defeated the two imperialisms so as to glorify this year, the 55th anniversary of the DPRK, as a year of great creation and victory in which the spirit of socialist Korea will be strikingly demonstrated.
Referring to the great progress made in the struggle for national reunification last year, the editorial says:
All the fellow countrymen in the north and the south and abroad dynamically advanced, holding high the banner of the June 15 North-South Joint Declaration. As a result, there took place dramatic events unprecedented in the history of national division.
An atmosphere of reconciliation, unity and reunification ran higher than ever before and exchange and cooperation were boosted between the north and the south.
The June 15 North-South Joint Declaration will as always remain a banner our nation should hold high in the movement for national reunification. The stand and attitude toward the declaration is a touchstone that distinguishes between patriotism and treachery. All the fellow countrymen should uphold the declaration as an invariable landmark for national reunification and bring about a decisive turn in the accomplishment of the cause of reunification with the might of the nation's driving force.
The success or failure of the movement for national reunification depends on how to preserve and implement the idea of "By Our Nation Itself", the basic spirit of the north-south joint declaration. All the fellow countrymen should give further momentum to the movement for national reunification under the uplifted slogan "Let Us Bring Earlier the Independent Reunification by the Concerted Efforts of Our Nation".
Cooperation between the compatriots is a short cut to reunification. We should place the common interests of the nation above anything else, subordinate everything to them and achieve the great national unity in the idea of national independence and patriotism. The anti-national moves to seek "cooperation" with outside forces, blinded by greed for power and comfort should be thoroughly rejected.
It is an urgent national task to avert the danger of war and preserve peace on the Korean Peninsula at present. There is neither reason nor condition for the fellow countrymen to strain the situation and disturb peace against the fellow countrymen as the north and the south are heading for reconciliation, unity and reunification. It can be said that there exists on the Korean Peninsula at present only confrontation between the Koreans in the north and the south and the United States. The United States is now becoming all the more frantic in its moves to stifle the DPRK, openly clamoring about a preemptive nuclear attack on it.
This is spoiling the atmosphere of reconciliation between the north and the south and posing a grave threat to peace. All the Koreans in the north and the south and abroad should approach the reckless and vicious war moves of the U.S. imperialists with high vigilance and deal a telling blow at them by the concerted efforts of the whole nation. The U.S. bellicose elements should clearly know that their strategy to dominate Korea is a pipe-dream, stop the provocative and military pressure and withdraw their aggression forces from South Korea without delay.
The great army-based policy is a policy of attaching importance to the nation as it is aimed to defend the sovereignty of the whole nation and a patriotic policy for its common prosperity. Whoever is concerned for the destiny and future of the nation should support and defend the army-based policy and remain true to it with ardent patriotism whether they be in the north and the south and abroad.
A very bright prospect is in store for the DPRK that has adorned its flag with great victories only.
We are sure to win as long as there are the invincible revolutionary army of Mt. Paektu and the steel-strong single-hearted unity of the party and the people. Under the banner of the great army-based policy our army and people will glorify forever the proud history and traditions of our republic that has always emerged victorious in the confrontation with imperialism.